IUCN Member BirdLife International celebrates 90 years

Tue, 26 Jun 2012

IUCN extends warm congratulations to BirdLife International on its 90th anniversary. A founding Member of IUCN in 1948, and long-standing IUCN Red List of Threatened Species partner, BirdLife International provides essential information to guide policy and conservation action for birds.

Ideas move the world but only if people act upon them. And that’s exactly what happened at midday on 20 June 1922, when a remarkable group of people from different countries met in London at the private home of the UK Minister of Finance. United by their passion for birds they concluded that the only effective answer to the growing trade of wild bird feathers or the threats to migratory birds across the continents had to be through coordinated international action.

“BirdLife International’s 90th anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on what we’ve achieved together and help us focus on the future we want,” said Dr Marco Lambertini, BirdLife’s Chief Executive.

“Much has changed in ninety years but the fundamentals have not. The rationale for international collaboration has only grown stronger and so the crucial need to empower local conservation capacity around the world. It all seems so logical today but it was truly visionary then”, commented Dr Lambertini.

BirdLife Partners around the world will be marking the anniversary with a series of feature articles in their magazines and other materials over the coming months, including marking the occasion together at the BirdLife Partner World Congress next June 2013 in Ontario, Canada.